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Home » Dinner » Chicken Brine Recipe

Published: January 13, 2022 Last Modified: January 13, 2022 By Sara 173 Comments

Chicken Brine Recipe

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Chicken Brine Recipe | Roasted Chicken | Whole Chicken Recipe #brine #chicken #dinner #glutenfree #lowcarb #dinneratthezoo

This chicken brine recipe is made with lemons, honey, fresh herbs and spices, and produces a juicy tender chicken every time! A foolproof way for succulent and flavorful roasted, smoked or fried chicken.

If you’ve never had a brined chicken before, you’re missing out! It takes just minutes to make a chicken brine, but the end result is nothing short of fabulous. Serve your brined chicken with glazed carrots and rice pilaf for a complete meal.

This chicken brine recipe is made with lemons, honey, fresh herbs and spices, and produces a juicy tender chicken every time! A foolproof way for succulent and flavorful roasted, smoked or fried chicken. This chicken brine recipe is made with lemons, honey, fresh herbs and spices, and produces a juicy tender chicken every time! A foolproof way for succulent and flavorful roasted, smoked or fried chicken.

Chicken brine in a pot with a whole chicken, lemons, herbs and spices.

I always get anxious about cooking large items of poultry like whole chickens and turkeys. It’s just so easy to either overcook the birds until they’re dry as a bone, or undercook them so they’re raw in the middle. This chicken brine infuses a whole bird with tons of flavor and helps to keep it from drying out in the oven. Brined chicken is the best chicken you’ll ever eat!

How do you make chicken brine?

To make this recipe, you’ll need salt, honey, lemons, herbs, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves. Everything goes into a large pot with water and is simmered until the salt has dissolved. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature, you can add your chicken to the pot, then refrigerate it until you’re ready to make dinner.

Ingredients including honey, lemon, herbs, spices and garlic.

Why do you brine chicken?

Chicken is a naturally lean type of meat which mean it’s prone to drying out. When a chicken is placed into brine, it absorbs some of the brine which helps to both keep it moist and also to season it all the way through. When you’re working with a brined chicken, even if you overcook it a bit, it should still come out tender and juicy.

How long do you brine chicken?

A whole chicken should be submerged in brine for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours. Do not go past the 24 hour mark, as your chicken may be overly salty if it sits in the brine for too long. If you’re looking to brine bone-in chicken pieces such as chicken thighs, drumsticks or breasts, you’ll want to soak them for about 4 hours. If you’re working with boneless chicken pieces, you can brine them for about 2 hours.

Salt, water, lemons, herbs and peppercorns in a pot.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

  • This recipe tends to work well with smaller chickens in the 3-5 pound range. This is simply because you’re more likely to have a deep pot to brine a smaller chicken in. If your chicken is larger than the biggest pot in your house, you can use a brining bag.
  • Be sure to use kosher salt, do not use table salt in this recipe. Table salt measures differently than kosher salt and your chicken will be too salty with table salt. I typically use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
  • Feel free to mix up the flavorings to fit your preferences. You can try orange instead of lemon, brown sugar instead of honey, add dried chiles for a little spice, or use fresh sage instead of thyme.
  • Make sure the liquid is completely cooled before you add the chicken for food safety reasons. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry, I add a cup of ice cubes to help speed the process along.

How do you cook brined chicken?

You can cook this type of chicken in any way that you would normally cook a whole chicken. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Herbs
  • Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
  • Peruvian Chicken
  • Rotisserie Chicken
  • Fried Chicken

A brined roasted whole chicken.

Once you try a brined chicken, you’ll be hooked! Everyone will think you’re a gourmet chef when they get a taste of your perfectly cooked chicken. While making a this brining solution is an extra step in the cooking process, it’s totally worth it in my opinion.

Sliced chicken garnished with fresh herbs.

Chicken Brine Video

Chicken brine in a pot with a whole chicken, lemons, herbs and spices.
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4.98 from 47 votes

Chicken Brine Recipe

This chicken brine recipe is made with lemons, honey, fresh herbs and spices, and produces a juicy tender chicken every time! A foolproof way for succulent and flavorful roasted, smoked or fried chicken.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cool Time 30 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 185kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 8 cups water
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt do not use table salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 dried bay leaves
  • 5 cloves of garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 lemons sliced
  • 4 lb whole chicken

Instructions

  • Place the water, salt, honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, parsley and lemons in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes or until salt has dissolved.
  • Turn off the heat and cool completely.
  • Add the chicken to the cooled brine. Make sure the chicken is completely submerged.
  • Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
  • Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse with cool water; pat dry with paper towels. Proceed with roasting, smoking or frying the chicken.

Notes

Nutritional information includes the whole chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 775mg | Potassium: 176mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 11.5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on January 2, 2019 and was updated with new content on January 13, 2022.

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    Comments

    1. Kasey says

      January 12, 2023 at 3:51 pm

      Do y’all think I reuse the brine for another meat?immediately after I take out chicken?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 13, 2023 at 9:14 am

        You’d only be able to add other chicken products to the brine.

        Reply
      • Janus says

        January 26, 2023 at 11:26 am

        I’d be worried about cross contamination. Also, how long would it be before you brine another chicken? Ingredients aren’t so expensive that I’d risk re-using the brine.

        Reply
    2. Ash says

      November 22, 2022 at 1:22 pm

      Can I brine for more than 24 hours? Like a day and a half?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 28, 2022 at 11:15 am

        I might reduce the salt in the recipe a bit if you’re going to brine longer.

        Reply
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